UAE reinforces pledge to fight against extremists

The UAE has condemned acts of terrorism around the world and renewed its commitment to the implementation of all pillars of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

National news agency WAM reported that during a special session of the UN General Assembly in New York to review the 2006 strategy, the UAE called on the international community to step up efforts in the fight against global terrorism.

Concern, it said, remains over the lack of a proper environment to fight terrorism and promote peaceful co-existence.

“Current conditions such as aggression and illegal use of force in some countries provide a recipe for new terrorist threats,” said Ahmed Abdul Rehman Al Jarman, the UAE Permanent Representative to the UN.

“This requires the international community to create a favourable environment by revamping their strategies in order to address and contain such conditions.”

Al Jarman said terrorists were using more sophisticated means to wreak havoc and called for strong cooperation among member countries to help prevent all forms of terrorist financing, such as piracy as wells as drugs and arms trafficking.

“There is need for improvement in information sharing and also strengthening of the legal framework within which to deal with threats of terrorism,” said Al Jarman.

He added that, as part of its commitment to the strategy, the UAE was working on its own legal framework, strengthening measures against money laundering. And Al Jarman said in October the UAE will also open the International Centre for Exce­llence on Countering Violent Extremism, where governments and civil society organisations can coordinate their efforts to tackle extremism. The centre will be in Abu Dhabi.

The UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy is based on four pillars, which include ensuring respect for human rights.

abdu.baasit@7days.ae

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